According to operant conditioning, what helps to shape a persons attitude?
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Operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, is a method of learning normally attributed to B.F. Skinner, where the consequences of a response determine the probability of it being repeated. Through operant conditioning behavior which is reinforced (rewarded) will likely be repeated, and behavior which is punished will occur less frequently. Show
By the 1920s, John B. Watson had left academic psychology, and other behaviorists were becoming influential, proposing new forms of learning other than classical conditioning. Perhaps the most important of these was Burrhus Frederic Skinner. Although, for obvious reasons, he is more commonly known as B.F. Skinner. Skinner's views were slightly less extreme than those of Watson (1913). Skinner believed that we do have such a thing as a mind, but that it is simply more productive to study observable behavior rather than internal mental events. The work of Skinner was rooted in a view that classical conditioning was far too simplistic to be a complete explanation of complex human behavior. He believed that the best way to understand behavior is to look at the causes of an action and its consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning. BF Skinner: Operant ConditioningSkinner is regarded as the father of Operant Conditioning, but his work was based on Thorndike’s (1898) law of effect. According to this principle, behavior that is followed by pleasant consequences is likely to be repeated, and behavior followed by unpleasant consequences is less likely to be repeated. Skinner introduced a new term into the Law of Effect - Reinforcement. behavior which is reinforced tends to be repeated (i.e., strengthened); behavior which is not reinforced tends to die out-or be extinguished (i.e., weakened). Skinner (1948) studied operant conditioning by conducting experiments using animals which he placed in a 'Skinner Box' which was similar to Thorndike’s puzzle box. Figure 8.7: “Slot Machines in the Hard Rock Casino” by Ted Murpy (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HardRockCasinoSlotMachines.jpg) is licensed under CC BY 2.0. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en).Operant conditioning, also known as instrumental conditioning, is a type of associative learning. In operant conditioning, behavior is followed by rewards or punishments as consequences. When a behavior is paired with a consequence repeatedly, an association is formed to create new behavior. E.g. a dog trainer gives his dog a treat every time the dog raises its left paw. The dog learns that raising its left paw can earn him a food reward. It will raise its paw again and again for more treats. Classical Conditioning as the Foundation of BehaviorismWe can trace back the origin of operant conditioning to its predecessor, classical conditioning. Classical conditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning, also involves learning a new behavior through the process of association.2 Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov first experimented with classical conditioning in the late 1800s. He noticed that his dogs salivated whenever he entered the room to feed them. In his operant conditioning experiment, Pavlov rang a bell every time he fed his dogs. Over time, the dogs became conditioned to salivate when they heard the sound of a bell, even when food wasn’t present. Food, which was able to trigger salivation naturally, is the unconditioned stimulus. The bell’s sound, which began to trigger salivation after being paired with food, was the conditioned stimulus. When the unconditioned stimulus (food) and the conditioned stimulus (sound) became associated, the conditioned stimulus could trigger the same response. This newly learned response became a conditioned response. This is a form of learning by association. Pavlovian conditioning became the foundation of Behaviorism, a leading field within the study of psychology at the time. Behaviorists believe that behavior is a response to external stimuli, and humans only learn by association, not by thoughts, feelings, or inner mental events. Law of Effect & Operant ConditioningLater, psychologist Edward Thorndike came up with the concept of instrumental conditioning when he observed the impact of reinforcement in puzzle box experiments with cats trying to escape. He called this process “trial-and-error” learning. Thorndike proposed the Law of Effect3, which stated that if in the presence of a stimulus, a response was followed by a satisfying event (reinforcer), the bond between stimulus and response was strengthened. Conversely, if a response-stimulus event was followed by an unsatisfying event (punisher), the bond was weakened. In the early 1900s, behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner, also known as the father of operant conditioning, built on the concepts of reinforcer and punisher to create the theory of operant conditioning (Reinforcement Theory). Skinner believed that Pavlovian conditioning was far too simple to explain complex human behavior thoroughly. He believed the best way to understand operant behavior was to observe its causes and consequences1. In Skinner’s operant conditioning paradigm, observable behavior can be manipulated when it is followed by reinforcement or punishment. To study operant conditioning, BF Skinner made a chamber, called the Skinner Box, and put a small animal inside. In the operant conditioning experiments, each time the animal pressed a lever or a bar, it received food or water as reinforcement4. Unlike classical conditioning, which involves unconscious reflexive behavior, operant behaviors are behaviors under conscious control. The major purpose of operant conditioning is to encourage desirable behaviors through rewards and reduce undesirable behaviors through punishments. Applying reinforcement and punishment creates a deliberate and conscious operant learning process. 4 Types of Operant ConditioningThe four types of operant conditioning are positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. Reinforcement increases target behavior, while punishment decreases it. Through his experiments, Skinner distinguished two types of consequences that could affect new learning: reinforcement vs punishment. ReinforcementThere are two types of reinforcement – positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. In psychology, positive refers to adding a stimulus and negative removing one. Positive reinforcement adds a rewarding consequence as a positive reinforcer to behavior, therefore strengthening or increasing the likelihood that the desired behavior will appear again. Negative reinforcement removes an unpleasant stimulus to increase the desired behavior in the future. PunishmentPunishment is the opposite of reinforcement. It aims to reduce bad behavior. Like reinforcement, punishment also comes in two forms: positive punishment and negative punishment. Positive punishment adds an unpleasant stimulus to weaken or eliminate a behavior. Positive punishment is usually what we refer to as “punishment” in our everyday lives. Negative punishment removes a pleasant stimulus to stop undesired behavior. Examples of operant conditioning in everyday lifeHere are the different types of operant conditioning examples. Example of positive reinforcement
Example of negative reinforcement
Example of positive punishment
Example of negative punishment
The use of operant conditioning is widespread. You can see it everywhere. It’s utilized by parents, teachers, companies, and the government. Also see: Shaping Psychology Schedules of Reinforcement Is a Key ComponentBehavior modification using reinforcers and punishers requires a continuous application to remain effective. Once the reinforcement or punishment stops, the learned behavior gradually weakens and finally disappears in a process called extinction. What is surprising, even to Skinner, is that frequency and pattern of reinforcer applications can affect how fast reinforcement works and how robust the learning remains5. The two types of reinforcement schedules are interval-based schedules and ratio schedules. Interval-based schedules: reinforcers are delivered after a period. The period can be fixed (fixed-interval schedule) or variable (variable-interval schedule). Ratio-based schedules: reinforcers are delivered after a certain number of responses. The number of responses can be fixed (fixed-ratio schedule) or variable (variable ratio schedule). Studies found that behavior learned through variable-ratio schedules is the most robust and least susceptible to extinction. This discovery is significant because now we can use reinforcement and punishment effectively in different situations. E.g. when using rewards to reinforce desired behavior, we now know that we should give them out only occasionally (variable-ratio schedule). When a toddler throws a tantrum in the market, we now know we cannot give in to buying candies no matter what. Occasionally giving in will make the habit much harder to break. Final Thoughts on Operant ConditioningOperant conditioning is something we often see around us. Sometimes we do it intentionally but sometimes not. Recognizing the pros and cons of this type of behavior modification can help us avoid pitfalls and reach the best results. Also See: Operant vs Classical Conditioning References
About Pamela Li Pamela Li is a bestselling author. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Parenting For Brain. Her educational background is in Electrical Engineering (MS, Stanford University) and Business Management (MBA, Harvard University). Learn more How does operant conditioning shape behavior?Operant conditioning, sometimes referred to as instrumental conditioning, is a method of learning that uses rewards and punishment to modify behavior. Through operant conditioning, behavior that is rewarded is likely to be repeated, and behavior that is punished will rarely occur.
How does operant conditioning affect attitudes?Operant conditioning states that an individual acquires a particular attitude as a consequence of rewards and punishment associated with it. Research finding suggests that the attitude of children is similar to their parents clearly because of associated rewards with it.
What are the 4 components of operant conditioning?In Operant Conditioning Theory, there are essentially four quadrants: Positive Reinforcement, Positive Punishment, Negative Reinforcement, and Negative Punishment.
What are the 3 important features of operant conditioning?There are 4 elements that describe operant conditioning:. positive reinforcement;. negative reinforcment;. punishment;. extinction.. |
